When Love Moves On
by AinoAika
Summary: What happens when the one you love has moved on? Hatsuharu finds out at the beginning of a bumpy road that leads him to a new love.
1. Familiar Faces

'_Ten years..._' he thought, focusing his camera on a small brown-haired girl playing with a small kitten, '_Ten years since I've been freed of that evil curse. It's been so long since we've all been together..._' His camera flashed and made a quiet snap as he took a picture. The flash of the camera caught both the girl's and the kitten's attention and they looked up, surprised. The photographer smiled and waved at the girl, standing up from his kneeling position as he watched the small kitten scamper into a nearby house.

"Mama!" squealed the young girl, running into the house, "Mama, a funny-looking man with white hair is outside! Come see! Come see! He took my picture! Mama! Come talk to him!"

"What? White hair? Eh? No, wait--" a frantic brown-haired woman was pulled out of the house by the small girl who had a tight grip on the woman's skirt, "Wait, I've got to finish the laundry and--and Dinner! We want to have dinner ready for when Daddy gets home, right? Uh, wait; hold on--" No matter what the frantic woman said, the stubborn little girl continued to pull at her skirt until the photographer found himself face-to-face with a very familiar but very grown-up face.

"But mama, he's like the man from your stories! The one with the white hair!" whined the small girl, pointing at him. The woman stopped her frantic pleas to look at the man holding the camera. She studied his features a few seconds.

"...Haru-kun?" she inquired, hesitantly.

"Tohru..." he confirmed quietly.

"Haru!" she exclaimed, swiftly embracing him, "How are you? Look at you! Your Hair! It's gotten so long since I've last seen you! Have you been eating? You look thin! Come, you'll join us for dinner!" Tohru grabbed his hand, surprising him with her force, and pulled him toward her four-year-old daughter.

"Teiya, this is my good friend, Hatsuharu. We met shortly after your daddy and I met," said Tohru, kneeling so she was at eye level with the young girl.

"Why do you have white hair?" Teiya asked Haru, who could only shrug.

"Teiya, you remember the story I told you about all the animals?" -she nodded- "Haru was the cow! The bold and strong cow! Just like how Uncle Momiji was the rabbit," Tohru explained, making her daughter giggle.

"Cows are funny," Teiya said simply.

"Guess that means I'm a funny guy then, huh?" he said optimistically.

"Mama, can Uncle Momiji come over for dinner as well? Momiji would love to see an old friend as well, right? So can I? Please?" To this Tohru nodded giving her consent. Teiya gave a shout of delight and ran off to make the phone call.

"You're still in contact with Momiji?" asked Haru, watching the energetic girl run into the house.

"Yes," she said, standing back up to face him, "and Yuki, Kagura, Rin, Hatori, Akito... Just about all of them actually. Don't you?"

"No," he paused, "none of them actually. You're the first in about six or seven years. I went off to the university – remember the one in Kyoto? – and I've been busy working since I graduated."

"Well then, we'll have to have a reunion soon!" she declared cheerily, "come, help me make dinner, they'll be here soon and it would be rude to make them wait when they will probably be starving," she started off toward the door. "Come on, Haru-kun," she paused, giving him a bright smile before continuing on inside. Haru started to head in but stopped with the feeling that he was being watched.

He looked around, curiously, only to find a dark figure hiding behind a tree a few yards away. The figure, realizing they had been caught, stepped out of the shadow of the tree. Haru was stunned to find yet another familiar face.

It was Rin.


	2. Dinner and an Invitation

_Author's Note: _

_Okay, here's chapter two. It took a bit longer than I thought to get it up on here but it's up now. Not much really happens in here but we find out about how Momiji's doing. Chapter three (which should be posted very soon) is the one where the drama starts. )_

_ Happy reading!_

* * *

"Wah! Haru!" Before he had turned half around, Haru found that he had been hug-attacked by the tall blonde.

"Hello Momiji," said Haru, amused yet not surprised.

The three of them, Haru, Momiji and Rin, were laying about in Tohru and Kyo's backyard. Rin had joined them for dinner since Tohru had insisted. Momiji had not been able to show up until just after dinner had finished because of work. Once Teiya caught sight of him, he had been instantly dragged off to play with her like they usually did when he came over. Because he had been dragged off, Momiji had been unable to greet Hatsuharu until this moment. Kyo was currently coaxing – although some might call it wrestling – his little girl into going to bed while Tohru was off, finishing the laundry. She always was very particular when it came to cleaning or doing some other house chores.

"Momiji, get off of him! You're too big for that now!" teased Rin, "Which reminds me, how's Janet?"

"I know, but I'm just so glad to see Haru!" said the blonde, just as bubbly as usual as he got off Haru to sit cross-legged in the grass. "An Janet and I have been great. She got a promotion last weekend so now she'll be able to start translating things for bigger companies. She's really excited about it. Just this morning she got a call from someone who would like her to help them with a meeting between them and their English-speaking co-workers from Europe," he paused to thoughtfully look up at the starry sky, "I really think she's the one. She's been talking about how her friend, Carrie, was proposed to by being given a ring. Janet said if she were to be proposed to that way, she'd be so happy. I'm going to go pick out a ring for her tomorrow night with Carrie. Carrie will know exactly what Janet would like. Do you think she'll say yes, Rin?" he turned to the dark-haired girl.

"I don't see how she could possibly refuse," Rin answered, sternly.

"I'm glad," said the rabbit with a serene smile.

Haru watched the two of them chat, surprised at exactly how much they had changed. Rin especially. She wasn't as closed-up and secretive. She seemed to flourish now, to almost glow with a new beauty.

As Haru sat watching her, he realized that he was still in love with his dear, free-spirited, Rin.

* * *

_…Three weeks later…_

Haru sifted through the mail in his hands, "Trash. Trash. Bill. Junk. Another bill. …What's this?" he paused at a small, bright red envelope. Setting down the rest of his mail, he checked the return address only to find that it was from Tohru.

'_Hmm_,' he thought, wondering how they got his address when he wasn't listed. He opened the red envelope and took out the small card it held. On the front was a drawing of a cow, which could only have been drawn by Teiya. Examining the card, he quickly read the typed message on the inside.

'_They're seriously going to do a reunion?_' he thought only half surprised. Then he remembered how excited Momiji had been when Tohru suggested it to him after dinner that night and realized he shouldn't be surprised at all. The rabbit had practically jumped at the idea.

"This should be very interesting," he said nonchalantly to himself.

* * *

End.

* * *

_Yes, Boring, I know. As bad as a filler episode on an anime but leave a reveiw to let me know how it is so far. _


	3. A Broken Heart

Hello Everyone, I'm back and with a new chapter! 0 Well I got a new laptop for my birthday from my dad (hehe, couldn't believe it at first and I had to recheck the address several times to make sure) so now perhaps I can type things up faster since I now wont be fighting for control of the computer anymore. Still have to anyways to get internet access because my notebook doesn't have internet access where I am. So yes, perhaps now I will be able to type more and perhaps get a second chapter for A Lost Kyo written as well but don't count on it. I actually have no idea what I'm going to do with that one. -.-' So yeah, new laptop. - I just installed all my Sims2 games on here (Sims2 Property of EA Games Sims2 pets, and Sims 2 University) and they seem to be working together perfectly so far. no freezing on anything yet and the time it takes to save isn't as long either but that might just be me. -' Oh yes, Ang I've still got 30-somg GB left for the rest of whatever I'm going to put on here. Probably be taken up by photos soon. Kinda bulky but I'm still very afraid that I'm going to break something. It has pretty blue lights on the power, volume and a few other buttons though. I turned it on earlier and I was like "Ooo! Pretty!"

Back to the topic at hand now, yes? So this chapter is the one where all the drama starts. I got a review suggesting that I make my chapters longer so this one is about twice as long. See, I write these out on paper first and the first two chapters have been a page, front and back and that's all I've really needed so far to get done what I want done in those chapters. This one had to be long anyways (and actually I wrote this one a long time ago. Had it ready to type up and post since I posted the first chapter. ' ) because, as we found out in the last chapter, there's a reunion to attend! We get to remeet just about everyone in this chapter and see how everyone is now. Happy Reading! Leave a reveiw!

Also, I of course do not own Fruits Basket.

----

"...So we'll all just come up and introduce ourselves in alphabetical order according to our first names, alright?" said Momiji, happily holding the microphone,. "Once you introduce yourself, introduce your family and then just give a breif summary of how things are going in your life now. First up," he paused to look at a small slip of paper in his hand, "is Ayame!!"

"Oh no, please don't give him the microphone," whined Yuki. Momiji gave the mike to Ayame who took the sstage with a flourish with his wonderful assitant, Mine.

"Hello everyone, I'm Ayame! But of course you all know me. Who you don't know is my wonderful assistant, Mine-chan! And we can never forget about my amazing little brother, the beautiful ever admirable prince Yuki!" Ayame exclaimed loudly.

"Drop the microphone and noone gets hurt, namely you," threatened the silver-haired, Yuki.

Hatori chuckled at the brothers, "Better do what he says, Ayame."

"Of course, Haa-san, I was only teasing him a bit, "Ayame handed the mike back to Momiji, his turn over.

"Next is," he looked at his paper again, "Hatori!" The seahorse quietly stood up, not bothering to take the mike for the room was already silent out of respect for the older man.

"I am Hatori sohma and I'm a docter of the newly opened Sohma Clinic. I'm currently writing my second book about the effects of loosing one's memory and I don't have any famly to introduce so thank you." Hatori sat back down in his seat, his introduction finished.

"Haru's turn!" exclaimed Momiji with his mike. Haru stood, his eyes roaming over all the zodiac animals whom had shown. Only two were missing: Kureno and Akito. Not that they were really missed, thoguh. Even Rin and Ritsu had managed to show up.

"I'm Hatsuharu, also known mas Haru, and I'm a free-lance photographer. After graduating highschool, I went to the Kyoto University of Comercial Arts. After graduating from there, I moved back up here and started taking pictures as both my full-time job and my hobby," he shrugged, not knowing what else to add, "I'm not yet married and ...that's about it." Haru sat back down in his seat, feeling embaressed and awkward even though he knew about two thirds of the people there.

"Hiro's turn!" jumped Momiji excitedly once more.

Haru zoned-out, not paying much attention at all. Faintly he heard names being called as each Sohma introduced themselves and their new families. Hiro and Kisa were officially dating, even though they went to different universities a day's drive away. Kagura had finally stopped chasing after Kyo, on the bright side. however, she had recently started chasing after some poor kid named Mabe who was somehow related to Yuki and his wife. Mabe didn't seem to mind being chased after too much, though. Kyo went up and introduced to the audience his wife Tohru, and his daughter Teiya. It seemed that Kyo had taken over the Karate Dojo after Shishou had died a few years back of cancer. Tohru was working on a book in while Teiya went to preschool. The book was apparently about this group of kids who changed into the animals of the zodiac when hugged. Half awake at the time, Haru thought she said the name of it was "A Basket of Fruit" or something like that but he wasn't really paying attention.

After Tohru and Kyo, Momiji went up and introduced his american fiance, janet. Momiji said he was also working with translating but with German and Japanese. Janet worked with English and Japanese.

"Danke!" exclaimed the energetic Momiji with a bow, "and next is Rin-san!" At the sound of her name being voiced over the stereo system, Haru found himself suddenly wide awake and looking around, fully alert. He spotted Rin walking up to the front with a very mellow man in tow.

'Who's he?' Thought Haru, 'he's not supposed to be up there, it's Rin's turn.'

Rin took the mike from momiji and began her turn, "You had all better be quiet 'cause I'm only going to say this once, got it? I'm Rin. This is Teiko. he works at his company making computers while I sit at home doing whatever. His son, Takada, is a highschool student. he's at track practice right now and couldn't make it. I've been training to get a job as a tattoo artist and peircer but it's been getting boring. Who knows what I'll go after next. Um...Ah! Oh yes, Teiko and I are engaged to get married this fall and I don't want any of you there unless you're invited, got it? All right, i'm done. Who's next?"

'Engaged?' thought Haru, his heart sinking fast, 'Rin's engaged? No, Impossible. She'd never do anything like that, right? I mean, come on! It's Rin! No one can tame her free spirit, right?' One look at the two of them, however, immediently told him that it was the truth and that she was happy with it. Teiko was as normal as a man could be, nothing special at all about him and yet Rin seemed happier than she'd ever been before. She seemed just as arrogant but she truly seemed to be enjoying herself.

"Hey Yuki?" Whispered haru to the silver-haired boy beside him, "I've got to step out for a few minutes... I--I'll-I'll-" a lump was forming in his throat and breathing was becoming a bit difficult. Yuki seemed to catch what was going on.

"Machi, I'll be back in a bit. If we need some more time, just ask Shigure about his new book. Or about that girl from the park. Sakura, stay with mommy." With that, Yuki discreetly stood up so as not to interupt the reunion, led Haru out of the enclosed room, and into a more private sitting room down the way. Once there, Haru could only collapse onto the small sofa and put his head in his hands, forcing back the tears that were fighting to reveal themselves and fall like rain.

"Yuki... is she really engaged?" he asked him quietly.

"Oh, Haru, I'm sorry. I wish I had known, I could have at least warned you then... Oh Haru..." responded Yuki, sorrowfully. Yuki moved to sit by the usually stoic Haru for support but stopped, stunned, when he saw the tears running down his cheeks. Even though they had known each other since they were very little, Yuki had never known Haru to cry. For Haru to cry now, he must have really liked her. He must have also been really hurt when he heard about their engagement.

"...Haru, I'm so sorry," whispered Yuki, unsure of what else he could say.

"Yuki, I loved her so much--I still do! ...Breaks my heart and yet I still love her," said Haru, choking back a sob, "Love is funny sometimes, isn't it?"

----

Yay! And that's the end of Chapter three. -' Sorry it took so long: I had finished writing it on January 22nd and here I just finally finished it on May 15th... Ugh, I'm really sorry it took so long. ' So anyways, I'll try to finish typing the next chapter as soon as I can...and I'll start that as soon as i figure out where I stuffed my outline... oh dear, now where did I put that?

-AinoAika 


	4. A New Face

When Love Moves On Chapter Four: A New Face

-  
"No," he said firmly.

"Oh, Come on, Haru! There will be Highschool girls!"

"Pediofile," he siad under his breath.

"Aw, Haru! That's not nice! i remember when you used to call me Sens--" Tired of listening to the talkative author, Haru simply shut the door on him. The doorbell rung a few times but Haru ignored it, goiong back to his video game. The phone rang two seconds later. He paused his game in the middle of cutting a Shinigami in half with his flaming katana.

"Don't call me anymore," he said into the receiver, hanging up on Shigure's pouting. The doorbell rang twice more as Haru picked his controller back up to continue slicing various monsters and odd looking creatures into halves and sometimes even thirds with his flaming katana he had received when he beat the game on hard.

He had been doing this for a few years. He'd go out to take pictures during the week. Come Friday, however, Shigure or another one of the zodiac from his group of friends would come a-knocking on his door. Usually it was either Yuki, Shigure or Momiji. Every time they came, they would try for the millionth time to convince him to go somewhere or try to hook him up with some girl. Every time they came to the door, Haru would turn them down for the millionth time. Every Friday night after this occured, the seemingly hollow man would go to the local bar to play sober pool until the bar closed. He refused to drink, however, because when he drank Black Haru found it easier to come out. He also found that when Black Haru drank, he became very violent. So to solve this problem, he just never drank anymore.

Pausing his game to look at his watch, haru decided that it was about time to go to the bar. He turned off his game and put on his black jacket. Haru locked the door behind him and started along the path to the small bar. It was unusually calm that night with the stars peeking out from behind the dark and ominous clouds.

Finally reaching his destination, Haru opened the bar door. He was surprised to hear some commotion going on inside, for once.

"Cough it up, old man! you said if i beat you and I've beaten you twice now!" the girl was shouting at the man Haru usually played pool with. It looked as if he had been gambling more than he had again.

"old man?! Watch your language young lady!" said the man of concern, Yabe.

"I'll watch my language when old men like you learn to quit making bets they can't kepp!" the girl had attractive, long, black hair, tied back in a simple ponytail, and somber grey eyes. She was wearing a pair of faded jeans, a red tank, and a few accessories here and there. Just about as normal as could be, it seemed, even though she was presently brandishing the pool stick at Haru's friend.

"Woah, hold on there girly," said haru, stepping between the pool stick and Yabe, "I can't let you do that."

"Yeah? And just who might you be, his mother?" she said, mockingly.

"Now this strapping young fellow is Hatsuharu Sohma! best pool player around!" Yabe slapped his hand on Haru's shoulder, "Thanks alot Haru, I owe you one...well actually i still owe you for last time too, don't I? Well, you know what I mean. Anyways, go get her, Tiger! Show her who's the best!"

"So you're a Sohma, are you? Too many of you with that name are stuck-up, egotistical, perverted pigs! Someone ought to show you your place! And who better to show you your place than a girl! Oh, and not any girl, but me, Maiyuko! Hatsuharu Sohma, i am going to beat you at a game of pool and put you in your place! What do you say to that, huh?" said Maiyuko with a flashy sneer.

"Well, Miss Maiyuko, I say put your talent where your over-sized mouth is and bring it on. I've not lost a game yet."

"HAHAHA! I told you I'd beat you, you stupid cow! You know nothing of pool or of anything else! You're such a stupid cow, i bet you couldn't find your butt with both hands and a map!" laughed Maiyuko, loudly. it had been a long and difficult game. with Haru on top for most of the game until Maiyuko pulled out and came out on top in the end.

"Now that's not right... Haru, why'd you let her win? It's because she's a girl, right?" Yabe asked, trying to make sense of what he had just seen.

"No Yabe, she beat me fair and square. Here, Maiyuko, this is the money Yabe owes you." Haru handed her a twenty.

"What?! No, Haru, You can't just let her win like that! You've got to take revenge! I call a rematch and I'm betting another twenty on Hatsuharu! Come on Haru, you can beat her! Just don't let her win this time, okay?" Yabe said excitedly, hoping for another match.

"You going to bet again? You're on! I could pay off my rent ahead of time with all the money I'm earning off of you idiots!" said Maiyuko, triumphantly.

"No, Yabe, no rematch. I'm done. That's enough pool for one night," Haru threw his jacket over his shoulder and stuck his hands iin his pockets, "See you next week, Yabe. G'night." With that, he left the bar to the sound of Yabe and the girl shouting at each other. The small bells on the bar door twinkled as the door shut behind him, shutting off all the sound like someone blew out a candle. He yawned and started home, stopping to get a small carton of choclate milk to drink on his way home.

------

Yay! Chapter four's finished now as well! - So I know this one was short but I just wanted to introduce you guys to my mischievious little Maiyuko. She's so arrogant. Can't really decide which I like better though: Maiyu, Maiya, or Maiko. Or just Mai. (pronounced "my") So be nice and leave a comment to tell me what you think, okay? We all love getting comments so spread the love and give me a big, chocolatey, delicious, comment, 'kay?  
Ciao,  
AinoAika 


	5. Three Words

When Love Moves On  
Chapter Five: Three Words  
By AinoAika  
-Disclamer: I don't own Fruits Basket.

* * *

"Great! Now we need one more... Smile! Good job! Thank you. ...Now where's the bride?" It was Friday yet again and Haru had a wedding to shoot. Looking for the bride, he searched in a little grove of trees. Instead, he found the married best man with one of the sister of the bride. He quietly snapped a picture of the two kissing in the grass and walked back towards the party. While walking back towards the main reception area, Haru found a beautiful small garden with a gazebo laced with white roses in the middle. All around the gazebo were hundreds of all sorts of flowers of so many colors. He saw a few that he could name: Lillies, Daisies, Tulips, Lavender, some more Roses and a few small Sunflowers. It was so bright and colorful. There was even a small waterfall that ran into it's own little stream that twisted all through the garden and around the gazebo. On a small bench in the middle of the gazebo sat the newlyweds, just enjoying each other's company and the beautiful scenery around them.

"I love you," Haru heard the bride say to her husband.

"I love you, Mina," He heard the grrom reply to the pretty girl. Haru snapped a few pictures of the happy couple from behind a bush and went off to go find the groom's new father-in-law.

"Ah! Mr. Sohma! There you are! How are the pictures coming along?"

"Of course Mr. Wan! I actually just finished! I got some really good ones that I just know you guys are going to love!" Said Haru, enthusiastically.

"That's great! Now, about that down-payment... Will this do?" Mr. Wan, the father-in-law, took out a couple of high-numbered bills: a three and two zeros following it.

"Three hundred...? Sir, that's way too much, I can't accept that. We don't know if the pictures will even turn out right!"

"Nonsence! I have the utmost faith in your talent, Mr. Sohma. I'm sure the photos couldn't be better! Please, take it. You deserve it for all the hard-work you have put in today." Mr. Wan said, urging Haru.

"Thank you, Sir. I appreciate your trust in my abbilities. I'll give you a call when they're finished?" Said Haru, taking the bills.

"That would be excellent, thank you! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Mr. Sohma." said Mr. Wan.

"You as well, Sir." With that, Haru grabbed his camera bag and jacket and headed for the nearest subway station. It would have been easier for Haru to take a bus but he had always been afraid of them for some odd reason. He supposed it was because he was afraid that they wouldn't stop correctly and end up causing a huge crash, hurting so many people.

The train station wasn't too far but Hatsuharu was still glad to sit down for the rest of the ride home. The ride itself was a long as well but Haru enjoyed having the time to just sit and think. He thought his cell phone had rung at least once during the train ride but each time he lost the signal and ended up just turning it off. On his way home, he eventually ran into the girl who lived next door to him. They talked awhile, switching trains twice. She was in high school, a junior still, and her name was Midori. She was coming home from visiting her sick aunt. The two eventually got off the train together and Haru walked her home, seeing as it was dark outside. After he dropped Midori off, he left with a cookie in hand to drop his cameras off at his own home.

He unlocked his door and set his camera bag off by the door. He was surprised to see that he had several messages and a note left by the door. He picked up the note, his eyes quickly scanning over the familiar hand writing:

Haru- stopped by to see if you were home; call me when you get in, it's important. Yuki.

'Hmm,' He thought, setting the note down by the answering machine. He pressed the play button on the machine and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

* * *

"HA-CHAN! It's SHI-GU-RE! Why won't you even answer the door?! Ha-chan, you're being so mean! Come on, pick up the phone, I've got tickets to a play we can go see! There will be pretty girls there, too! ...And pretty guys if that's what you prefer. Come on, come to the door! Ha-chaaaaan!" _End of Message One._

"AH! Ha-chan, I'm sorry if I upset you, I know you're not like that, I was trying to get you to open the door! Pleeeeaaase? Come on, I know you're not interessted but i went out and bought a new video game for you to make it up to you? Please, just open the door?" _End of Message two._

"Alright, you know what? I'm done with you, I'm taking this game back and getting my money back for it. You're not being nice at all. In fact, you're being very rude! See if I ever come visit you out of the goodness of my heart again!" _End of Message three._

"Ha-chan? Pleeeeeeeaaaaase? I'm sooooorrrrrry? Please? Ha-chan, just open the door, I just want to talk to you. Please? Come on, Please? Fine, I promise I wont go on and on about highschool girls anymore as long as you open the do---Oooo! You've got a cute neighbor! I'm going to have to call you back, Bye-Bye!" _End of Message four._

"Haru? it's Yuki, Where are you? I stopped by to talk to you but you weren't there so I left a note for you to call me. I waited for a while then tried to call your cell phone but it must not have been working right. So... Just... Haru, just give me a call, alright? It's really important, you should know. So call me, okay?" _End of Messages._

* * *

Haru paused in the middle of refilling his glass after hearing Yuki's message. He had never sounded so urgent. Haru took out his phone and Dialed Yuki's number. It only rang once before Yuki's voice came over the line: "Hello? Haru?"

"Yeah, Yuki, It's me. I was at a wedding, what's going on that's urgent enough to call me a few billion times? Everything okay?" asked Haru, nonchalently.

Three words came from Yuki's mouth over the phone. Three words that caused Haru to drop his glass of water making it shatter into a hundred pieces against the cold, hard, tile floor. Just three words and Haru knew that everything had changed forever, never to change back. He was stunned, shocked, and scared. He'd never have a chance with her ever again. What would he do? He had always gone after Rin, no one else. Sure it was bad when he found out that they were engaged but this... now they were sure to get married and to stay together as well. All hopes of them breaking up were shattered with just those three words.

"Yuki... No, you're lying." He tried to deny it.

"I wish I were."

"So she's... she's really... "

"Yes Haru, It's true... Rin is pregnant."

Rin was pregnant. The three horrible words echoed in his mind once more, leaving him no sanctuary.

"Haru? Are you okay? Haru?" Interupted Yuki's concerned voice.

"I'll call you later." Haru hung up his phone, letting the small device fall from his hand and land with a small clatter on the floor along with all of the glass pieces. He felt weak and hollow once again. He felt small and insignificant. He backed up until his back hit a wall, ignoring the glass on the floor, and slid down until he was sitting on the floor with his head in his hands. His heart had been hurt once but he had still held a small candle of hope. Now his heart had been ripped open, stabbed, had salt poured on it, then sewn together again so all he could feel was the burning pain. A dark part of him at the back of his mind edged forward a few steps, trying to gain control but his feeling of loss won the small battle within him. He stood up, grabbed his jacket, and left, dimly remembering to lock the door behind him. He walked, not really caring where his feet took him. It was extremely dark outside by that time and all the stars were out, shining as if nothing in the world were wrong at all.

When he became aware of where of he was, he found that he was standing outside the bar that he visited regularly. He walked in to the regular sounds of the bar. All the regulars were there, whether they were drinking, playing cards or pool, or just there for whatever reason. Yabe was there, waiting for Haru to play their regular Friday pool.

"Yo! Haru! it's about time you showed up. I was about to give up and you and leave! Where've you been?" Yabe called to Haru as he walked in through the door. Haru hollowly walked past his boisterous friend and sat himself down at a barstool for the first time in a quite a few years.

"Give me something, I don't care what it is. Make a shot of the strongest thing you have," he said to the bartender, a petite brunette.

"HAHAHA! Oh come on, Haru, give it up. Just come one and play pool, we all know you don't drink!" chortled Yabe, just before Haru downed the shot, asking for another. "Ehehe, Haru, you don't have to do that to get your point across. If you're sick of pool you could have just said so...Haru? Hey, you okay man? That's your third one. Perhaps you should settle for something less... strong? Hey, Mina, just give a reguler beer, none more of that strong stuff, he'll be out before he has to take a leak! Haru, really man, what's up? Your girl leave you or something? Catch her in bed with another man? Lose your job or something?"

"Yabe, why don't you just go find someone to lose all your money to in a game of pool. Didn't your mom ever tell you to go play in the middle of a busy intersection?" retorted Haru, angry that he had been cut off of all the strong liquors even though it had only been his fifth or sixth shot in four minutes. He felt an old friend whisper in his mind's ear but brushed it off, ignoring it.

"Fine man, if that's the way you want to drown your sorrows then feel free but I'm not going to be the one to baby-sit you, got it?"

"I don't need a baby-sitter, Yabe. Go back home to your wife or something, just leave me alone." Haru growled at him suddenly very vicious. Yabe gave him a wide-eyed look and left him alone, not saying another word. Haru sat there, emtpying bottle after bottle of the alcoholic liquid. With each passing hour, he became steadily more malicious, glaring at anyone and everyone. Haru remembered yelling at Yabe for being loud and obnoxious about his pool game. He also remembered seeing a familiar face that he hadn't expected to see at all.

"Hey Yabe, what's up with Mr. PMSing, over there? Thought you said that good-for-nothing sack of potatoes didn't drink?" She asked.

"Well he doesn't drink. Or at least he didn't before tonight... I'm not taking him home though, I don't even know where he lives! Watch out though, he's feircer then ever." Said Yabe, losing yet another bet on a game of pool.

"Hey Haru!"

"Say my name again! I dare you! Next person to even talk about me is getting thrown through that window, I kid you not! Try me!" Haru yelled, knocking his barstool over in the process of jumping up. It looked as if Black Haru was in the process of returning. Furious for no reason what-so-ever, Haru struggled to regain control of his anger and instead of turning around to confront everyone he sat back down and shut his mouth by downing even more of the alcoholic beverages the bar served. He drank more and more, refusing to get up for whatever reason because he knew that once he did get up and turned around, Black Haru would be able to easily take control of all the adrenaline that was rushing through his veins. The alcohol would just lacken Haru's rein of control over himself and allow Black Haru to gain control more easily. Getting up and allowing Black Haru to take over would most likely result in someone getting severly hurt, whether it be himself or someone else.

Haru sat there for the longest time, just allowing himself to drink more and more, not caring about anything at all. Behind him, Yabe and all the others in the bar that night just continued doing whatever it was they wanted to. They ignored Haru, not wanting to anger him even more and just pretended that he wasn't there. They all ignored Haru's presence except for the bartender and one other.

"Hatsuharu," timidly began Mina, the bartender, several hours later. "We're closing, you need to go home."

"Home?" mumbled Haru, incoherently.

"Yeah, Go home," said Mina, gathering more courage once she realised that he was too drunk to retaliate against anything she said. "Do you need me to call you a cab? Why don't I get Yabe to take you home? Do you know his number?"

"Yabe... doesn't want to... to... to babysit." said Haru, not quite sure what he was saying.

"I'll take him home, Mina. Have a good night," said a female voice from behind Haru as the body the voice belonded to helped him up and off the stool.

"Rin? Rin, what are you doing here? You're... you're..." Haru started to say to the girl helping him off the stool. It only made sence that it was Rin, who else would be there for him when he was drunk?

"No, stupid. I'm not Rin. Come on, I'm taking you home." said the girl, "Y'know, you're actually not that bad of a guy when you've drunk yourself silly like this. Don't you know when to stop drinking?" She was actually quite strong, helping to support his weight as they walked out the door.

Inside, Haru felt an urging at the back of his mind that wanted to blow up at the girl for calling him stupid, to hit her, to throw her through one of the glass windows of the store across the street. The urging presence fought hard, knife and tooth to take control of Haru's consciousness just to beat and tear up everything it could get it's hands on. Haru, however, wasn't think clearly enough for the dark side of him to take over. Haru's thoughts had gone haywire and he had no idea what was going on. The scene before his eyes started to turn, move, and twist.

"Hey buddy, you doing all right? You really don't look so good. You look like you're going to be sick or--Whoa! Watch where you're aiming, bud." Haru threw up all over the sidewalk, just barely missing the annoyed girl.

"Sorry," he tried to tell her, but starting throwing up again. If Yuki had seen him like that he would have been yelling at him to no end, angry that his friend had gotten that drunk.

* * *

End of Chapter Five.

* * *

Yay, the end. Poor Haru but that's what you get for drinking that much. And whoever this girl is, she is deffinately alot nicer than I am. I deffinately am not that nice to people when they're drunk. So school's out for about four days before I have to go to summer school. After that i'm going to take a nice, long, vacation somewhere, dunno where yet. I'm telling you this just in case I don't get the next chapter up before I leave. I'll start writing it tomorrow or so but I just don't know when I'll finish. Be happy I wasn't in the mood to write more now or else I might have been evil enough to leave you guys with a particularly nastly cliff-hanger somehow.  
Ciao!  
-AinoAika 


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